Closure cap retainers



Nov. 17, 1959 E. A. RANDLETT 2,

CLOSURE CAP RETAINERS Filed Oct. 22, 1957.

J3 18-: 14 19 ii J9 21 INVENTOR 42.4- Kiel EDWAKDARfiNDI-EIT United rates Patent CLOSURE CAP RETAINERS Edward A. Randlett, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to Owens- Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application October 22, 1957, Serial No. 691,689

1 Claim. (Cl. 215-41) My invention relates to closure caps for bottles and jars and more particularly is a novel, simple means for effectively securing caps against easy removal by small children and others.

It is well known that in recent years too ready access to bottles of aspirin tablets and many other medicines has resulted in death and/or serious illness among small children and others. This very largely has occurred because closure caps in general are relatively easy to remove.

An object of my invention is the provision of means by which the removal of closure caps becomes quite difficult if not impossible for small children, yet will not present a similar problem to adults. To this end, my invention comprises a transversely recessed or split collar encircling a bottle neck and preventing access to the lower margin of a closure cap skirt except when the recess or gap in the collar is in register with a similar recess or notch in a projection formed on the neck immediately beneath the closure cap skirt.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view partly in section showing my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the retaining collar.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a container showing the notched circumferential rib.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of another form of my invention.

In one form of my invention, it comprises a glass bottle or jar provided with a diametrically reduced neck 11 terminating in an annular sealing surface 12. Immediately beneath this surface is an external radial bead 13 providing a downwardly facing abutment or shoulder 14 designed for holding engagement with an internal bead 15 on a closure cap 16. This closure cap has a panel portion 17 which sealingly contacts the surface 12 on the container and is so held by the interengaging bead 15 and abutment 14. Spaced below the abutment 14 and in reasonably close proximity to the lower margin of the closure cap skirt 18 is a. circumferentially extending radial rib 19 formed with a transverse notch 20.

Retention of the closure cap '16 against easy removal by an uninformed child, for example, is elfeoted through the use of a split collar 21 which provides a transverse notch 21 and may be formed of a plastic or other material having some degree of resilience. This collar may 2,913,134 Patented Nov. 17, 1959 be generally L-shape in cross-section thereby including a vertical wall 22 and a radially inwardly directed bottom flange 23. The wall portion 22 extends axially upward and may terminate at or just above the lower margin of the closure skirt, or if preferred may project nearly to the upper margin of said skirt. The lower inner corner of the bottom flange 23 is cut away to provide a tapered guiding surface 24 which aids materially in slipping the collar over the bottle neck and rib 19.

In operation, it is thought apparent that with the closure cap and collar assembled with the bottle as shown, it is unlikely that a small child will appreciate the need for effecting registration of the notches 20 and 21 in the rib and collar respectively in order to apply upward pressure to the lower margin of the cap skirt. Only when these notches are aligned can one engage a finger or fingers with the skirt in such fashion as will permit cap removal.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another form of my invention in which the collar 21 is a circumferential vertical wall formed near its upper margin with an internal annular groove or channel 26 to accommodate the rib 19. The upper margin of this collar is so positioned relative to the closure cap skirt 18 that one could not obtain an elfective hold upon the skirt and lift same. A guiding surface 24 is formed on the inner side of the collar to facilitate assembly.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In combination a bottle or jar having a wall defining a circular neck, said wall formed externally with an annular closure cap retaining abutment, an external rib extending circumferentially of the neck below but in close proximity to said abutment and formed with a transverse notch, a closure cap having a depending attaching skirt encircling the neck and extending to a point at which it substantially contacts an upper surface of said rib, an internal bead on the skirt for holding engagement with the abutment, a resilient transversely split collar partially encircling said rib and having circumferentially spaced apart ends providing a transverse notch, said collar being of such axial dimension that it extends across the rib and encloses at least an adjacent portion of the closure cap skirt, a flange at the bottom of and coextensive circumferentially with the split collar projecting radially inward to the neck immediately beneath the rib, and means for holding the collar against excessive bodily movement axially away from the rib, said collar being manually rotatable relative to the neck and closure cap to eflfect registration of the notches and thereby facilitate access to the lower margin of the closure cap skirt for cap removal purposes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES BATENTS Great Britain Sept. 26, 1956 

